The Seven Misfortunes and Eight Pains
by MakinaCZ
Summary: "The virtues we acquire, which develop slowly within us, are the invisible links that bind each one of our existences to the others - existences which the spirit alone remembers, for Matter has no memory for spiritual things." Reincarnation!fic.
1. Prologue

**Seven Misfortunes and Eight Pains**

"The virtues we acquire, which develop slowly within us, are the invisible links that bind each one of our existences to the others - existences which the spirit alone remembers, for Matter has no memory for spiritual things."

**Prologue**

_The few years after the War were riddled with his mistakes, Harry reflected. _

_His first being that, when presented with a choice to hide in the shadows, he took it. He probably shouldn't have- not when it all was still so fresh and there was so much to do- but he was so tired of it all already- tired of all the people looking to him for guidance, like he was the second coming of Jesus or something, like he was the second Dumbledore, a wise old wizard with enough experience to provide a sound advice._

_He wasn't. He was seventeen, not even a proper graduate, and he was so __**fucking**__ tired of being the one in charge, and in no way he will be taking charge again, or holding their hands to make them do __**something**__._

_He loved Ginny. And he was sure she loved him- but War changes people. It changed him, and it changed her, and so when he found her in the embrace of Neville (who had paled the moment he came closer for the formerly round boy to notice him), she looked at him evenly, in silence. Harry hold her gaze for a very long time- searching for any sign of this being part of some bigger scheme. He hadn't found any. Harry relaxed noticeably after that and smiled gently. It wasn't a happy smile exactly- worn and sad, but content. Glad._

_He could tell that she was surprised (it was fleeting however, that's how deep their understanding of each other ran). She probably expected him to make scene. But that Harry was gone- he faded into the past, none of the anger he held present. His heart was both burdened but light at the same time. Had things gone differently, he would have probably married her. They would have lived in nice house, they would have children and normal jobs. He loved her and she loved him- it was that kind of a love that stays in you forever, hidden securely in the corner of your heart, remembered with slight bit of pain, but always in fondness._

_It didn't mean they were over. It didn't mean they would meet in shifty locations, act on needs, and cheat on their future spouses. _

_It was a peaceful resignation with that fact that they would spend the rest of their lives loving each other, but being unable to be together. Ginny allowed her heart to love another despite all that- and Harry was glad, as Neville was a good guy- a good man, and that was important._

_She smiled back- the exact small sad smile he gave her and nodded. Harry nodded back, before gripping Neville's shoulder in friendly way, and completely supporting, making him relax. He was confused what just happened. It was understandable. But he was a good man._

_And that was enough for Harry._

-**7**-

_He found Ron and Hermione on the way to the tower. They were still holding hands and quietly talking, both looking up when he came near them. They must have seen something in his eyes as they hesitated, before- without and word- they took his hands, all three of them creating a circle. But after all they've been through, words weren't really needed._

_Later Ron told him, when Hermione went to bed and they both nursed a glass of firewhiskey (to make a tribute to all friends lost) that both of his friends decided that relationship between them was a no-no. He gave quite the glare to the dark-haired male when he started protesting, making Harry grin uneasily._

_"__It's similar to you and Ginny I think," the redhead rumbled, still glaring, making sure Harry was keeping his mouth shut "Just.. It wouldn't work out. ..The kiss was nice though," he finally said with similar grin and Harry had to laugh, because that was just Ron, through and through. Comfortable silence settled between the two of them after that, with the 'boy-who-lived' humming softly as he swirled the drink in his glass. The atmosphere was light, despite the grief that dug claws into their shoulders, explaining their position- both of them hunched over, looking like two tired old men._

_"__I'll be going back for the NEWTs," Ron said suddenly, but Harry wasn't surprised. He figured that Ron wouldn't like joining the Auror training, not after the battle took away so much from him. So he just nodded, keeping silent. There was more to be said after all. "...I want to try for healing, maybe," his friend continued, a bit of hesitancy creeping into his voice._

_"__There aren't enough healers," Harry agreed softly, after giving one surprised blink. And that was that. Ron nodded in satisfaction, and leaned back, looking surer than before. Harry was glad for him. They drank their glasses in silent once again._

_"__...Hermione won't work with the ministry," Harry stated, humming as he reached for the bottle._

_"__She won't, no."_

_"__I reckon she is tired of being the 'brain'."_

_"__Spot on." Harry nodded again, bringing his refilled glass to his lips and taking a sip. The firewhiskey burned, but it was a pleasant burn. He will sleep without dreams tonight, probably. Leaning back just like Ron, he pondered quietly on his female friend. Harry had a temper- one that was like a volcano, erupting and burning. Ron's was a constant fire. Feed it and it will grow bigger, let it and it will cool down. Hermione... Hermione's was the ocean. Calm at first sight, deadly when closer. And just like the ocean, there was a deep darkness- and Hermione never forgets, and never forgives._

_Both Harry and Ron are quite content to set their weapons down (for now, as they were warriors in heart) and enjoy the little peace they could. Hermione wasn't like that._

_"__She will hunt the rest," said Ron, probably knowing what Harry was thinking about "I offered to help but- well, you know," he shrugged uneasily, looking like always when he tried to get Hermione to stop studying and relax- and always failing. And Harry did know. Just like both Ron and he knew why Hermione choose this option, the girl- now a young woman- knew what they needed. Harry spent far too long looking over his shoulder and Ron is a protector- not a hunter._

_"__She will need a healer most definitely, every time she returns," he hummed again, placing the glass on the table. He had no illusion that this will be a brief thing. It will take months, maybe years- and, honestly? Harry doubted that all three of them will trust a stranger with their wellbeing, especially after the War. With no doubt, all of them being hauled as heroes (and he could already hear the whispers, making his blood boil and leaving taste of distaste on his tongue), the number of enemies they will have will increase._

_"__Bloody hell, better getting started early," Ron groaned and covered his face with a dirty hand. They all looked like they ran through the hell and then jumped in a swamp- and smelled just like that too. But shower was not important right now. Harry knew that the redhead understood. So he granted his friend an even look when Ron turned to him with slight frown._

_"__You are going away," he accused, and Harry inclined his head slightly._

_"__Yes."Ron frowned, but it wasn't angry, just thoughtful._

_"__But you are staying." Harry nodded again._

_"__Of course."_

_He watched his friend calmly as Ron grumbled, scowling as he racked his brains, trying to solve this puzzle Harry presented. When his eyes widened a tad bit, the last Potter smiled in amusement, the expression turning to faint grin when the redhead turned his eyes on him._

_"__The Un-?"_

_"__Yes." Ron was now looking at him in slight wonder. To be honest, Harry felt the same, still, even after the brief contact he had with that man. His friend rubbed his chin slightly, scratching the stubble there. That made Harry feel childishly envious, as his skin was still baby smooth._

_"__There will be a cottage, at the edge of the forest, near Ottery," he offered instead "Sometimes around next week. Plenty of space." Harry will be gone from public eye, yes. He will probably make a lot of people wonder where he is. But there will be a cottage- both for him and his two friends, and there was no doubt that Ron or Hermione would not agree. Just like Harry, they could no longer imagine sleeping, or living without another two near._

_"__Efficient," Ron grinned warily "Of course, no-one knows it's there."_

_"__Of course," repeated Harry in amusement. He picked up his glass again, and brought it to his lips._

-**7**-

_The first three years were alright. And Harry's job- even though to the public eye he was unemployed- brought more into his life then he at first though. He was busy- but so was Ron, who was getting really good at the whole healer business, and so was Hermione, who returned almost every night with a triumphant if tired grin. And each night they laid down in the same big bed, complaining about blanket hogging and space management- and in a way, they were in relationship together, even if it was a highly strange relationship. All of them were keeping away from sight, content to live their life as they wanted. And Harry was more than okay with that, keeping himself pleasantly ignorant of everything that was troubling the society, as this was something he cherished._

_It was a mistake, one that couldn't be blamed, but mistake nonetheless._

-**7**-

_It was a sombre and ghastly pale Ron that greeted him in the morning one day. He frowned in concern, almost asking what happened, when his friend mutely passed him the day's issue of Daily Prophet._

**_Diagon Alley in shambles! Muggles performing a devastating attack, causing death of hundreds!_**

_Harry slammed the newspaper down on the table, ignoring as Ron's cup of tea jumped and broke down on the floor. There was a tense silence after, neither of the males capable of saying anything. The photo of the Diagon Alley was like from a one of the history books Harry remembered from primary, the part where it talked about World War II. He met Ron's gaze with a look of hopeless and quite a bit of fear. Ron covered his face, all worst thoughts confirmed._

_The article talked about muggle fanatics, but Harry knew it wasn't true. This was deliberate. Planned._

_It wasn't a parent that blew the street up, it was an aerial attack; the muggle government wanted them all gone._

_Their society was on the edge of another war and Harry knew that not only they weren't ready- but also that they had no chance of winning._

-**7**-

_It wasn't just them, they found out, when Hermione returned from abroad, ashen-faced and terrified. All over the world, muggle governments has been hunting down wizards and witches, taking away newborns and euthanizing them, pulling children out of the school and cutting them up for experiments._

_They all huddled together that night, holding each other close while the house was bathed in darkness. They were afraid to turn on the light; afraid that it would tell away where they live, where they are hiding._

_Ron went out right before the dawn, and returned just in time for breakfast, looking pained and angry, but most of all scared and lost. Harry closed his eyes at that, exhaling shakily. They were barely adults and this was something they weren't prepared for. From the redhead's expression he knew that he went to visit his family, tried to warn them, and was laughed off. _

_For once, they all stayed at the cottage, setting up a ward to get rid of the post owls from their work. Even Hermione, who travelled around the world the most, was sitting almost calmly at the table, nursing a mug of coffee. The day was spent in thick silence, and there seemed to be a whisper at the back of Harry's head that kept repeating the word 'cowards' again and again, but Harry preferred 'survivors'_

_Gone were the days they met unknown danger head-on. Especially when both Hermione and Harry knew how deadly muggle weapons are. And Ron wasn't a fool to not to trust them on that._

-**7**-

_Wizarding Britain was gone in mere year. Most of the magical dead, the rest of them on a run as there was no safe place left in the world. Wards at the Hogwarts were compromised with a well targeted missile from aerial base, probably on information from one of the captured. All over them people were dying, seeking place to keep their families safe-_

_And only the three of them, the Three Cowards as the papers started to call them when they didn't respond to Prophet's pleads for help, they stayed hidden safely in the cottage, with lights permanently off, and wards long gone, as the muggles seemed to have a way of tracking magic both in person and in objects around them. _

_Burrow burned to the ground, along with its inhabitants. All their friends were dead. They only really had each other, three tiny fires in this wasteland of ice- and it wasn't a happy existence at all. And all the time they were plagued with thoughts- doubts and guilts. Could they prevent it? Was there something, anything they could have done? If they were more involved, would they be able to see the signs?_

_Harry knew that people cursed them as they died. He could feel it in his magic, the force in him coiling and flinching each time when someone gasped their names in last dying breath._

_Damn you._

_Damn you all._

_May you never find peace in afterlife, may you all three burn in Hell._

_The cottage, that at first was a paradise, their own sanctuary, turned to prison, the air around them slowly turning rotten, poisoning them and stealing everything they worked so hard to gain. In those times, Harry always looked up at the grey sky, watching the heavy clouds, and inspecting the howling wind. It would be winter soon._

_And they had nothing that would help them survive it._

-**7**-

_"__This is the end." Hermione spoke one morning, her voice tired. Harry just nodded while Ron grunted in agreement. This was their fourth day without breakfast- rations were low, so they had to do with a lunch only._

_"__It was long coming," the dark-haired male reminded gently "We knew that from the very beginning."_

_"__I know, I just-" she swallowed painfully, tears spilling and rolling down her cheeks "I just hoped-"_

_Ron pulled her to a hug immediately and Harry could only watch with aching heart. Hope... he had hoped too, that's why he is still alive after all. But as the saying goes, hope dies last, and they truly had nothing else. Everything was gone. Everything they fought for, everything their friends and teachers died for, it was all gone._

_They couldn't use magic now- the country was riddled with sensors that picked it up, and the response to magic usage was brutal. The world was a true hostile place for everything magical, and Harry knew that all of remaining witches and wizards had no idea __**why**__. Why now? What started it?_

_All three of them figured that there must have been a meeting, where their kind was discussed, and considered threat. In their eyes they must have been something dangerous and deadly, something that is unknown and has to be destroyed. After all, they weren't like the other __**humans**__._

_"__...I have three bottles of the draught." Ron muttered softly, making Harry to look at him. His friend wasn't meeting his eyes, as if he thought that taking a potion that helps you fall into easy death was bad._

_"__I have no need for blaze of glory," he informed him, feeling a bit short with Ron for thinking that "We will make a portkey. To Hogwarts. It doesn't leave a trace so the only magic would be from here." He rubbed his eyes "I want to die at Hogwarts." 'not in this damned place' was left unsaid. Hermione bit her lip, but she looked down, her shoulders hunched over with resignation. She too couldn't see any way out of their situation. And if they were to die, it would be on their own, peaceful terms, and not by bullet to the head._

-**7**-

_Still, right before making the portkey, they left all sorts of nasty things for the muggles to find- trapping runes and bubbling cauldrons, all set to explode in the most devastating way the moment someone comes near them. Either to kill or permanently change, as there weren't any healers around able to fix magical damage._

_They didn't stay around for that of course, no matter how satisfying it would be._

_Hogwarts were a mess, just like they have been after the Battle. It was a painful sight, especially as Harry remembered Ron's excited letters when they first started the repairs. That all the effort their people put into restoring the castle to its glory was wiped away by one rocket was a bitter pill to swallow._

_The castle now looked dead, but still more inviting and feeling more like a home than their cottage did. The heavy door protested as they pushed it open, tensing when dust and slight debris came down on their heads, making them worry for moment. Relaxing soon after, they squeezed their way inside._

_The halls were cold. It was a sobering feeling that remained them of the nearing winter, and their lack of everything to survive it. Sure, they suspected that muggles won't be able to get to Hogwarts, not now, not ever, but what good that is? Trying to survive in a castle is even worse idea than trying to survive in the cottage. At least at Ottery there was a prospect of stealing from muggles, while here? There was nothing._

_House elves were gone- where had they gone, the trio had no idea. Perhaps with the slaughter of the wizardkind there suddenly wasn't anything to bind them, and they simply faded._

_That was probably for the best._

_Walking down to the Great hall, they could see how people left in a hurry- a forgotten backpack or robe there, lots of scattered parchments- notes on charms, Harry noticed with sadness. There were also empty cots scattered around, stained with what looked like dried blood, and it occurred to the dark-haired male that the consequences of the missile were graver than they first thought._

_An itch on the back of his neck told him they were watched, and when he turned around he could see various ghosts- both old and new, he found out, suddenly feeling faint as he looked at what seemed to be a first year girl, large piece of glass impaling her through her tiny chest._

_The spectres said nothing and although their gazes were clear and not accusing, Harry couldn't help but feel guilty. They left soon after, fading and disappearing through walls- they probably knew that the trio came here to pass on._

_The Great Hall was even bigger mess than the rest they'd seen so far, and silently they agreed not to spend any more time exploring._

_Slowly, they undressed, shivering from the freezing cold. They folded their clothes and placed them on the griffindor table, where they used to sit and laugh. Without hesitation they placed their wands right on top, knowing that the simple stick of wood will remain strong for centuries to come, thanks to the magic within._

_Completely nude, they backed away before they sat on the cold floor- Ron cursing and complaining, making Harry grin faintly and Hermione to giggle- before looking at each other. _

_They wanted to cry._

_They wanted to hug and promise to see each other again._

_But, of course, things don't work like that._

_And so Harry grinned faintly again, raising his vial in mocking toast._

_"__Well, bottoms up."_

_And on the same time they drank the tasteless potion, their eyes falling shut, and their bodies shutting down even before they hit the ground._

_In that last second, before Harry lost consciousness, he suddenly wished for a treacle tart, if only to make this ending bittersweet._


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1.

As long as he could remember, there was this feeling that something happened, something wrong.

It took him a long time to know what the feeling was- after all, Naruto wasn't the most popular of kids in the Orphanage, and when others were taught the way of life, he was conveniently forgotten. And yet, the moment he turned five, the itchy feeling that plagued his small frame suddenly had a name. Naruto, as focused as he was with playing with the solitary wooden horse he nicked, had just paused and then nodded, accepting, because _of course _it was _wrong_. And actually, it had nothing to do with how different he seemed from others. Or how the Tall ones- _adults_, his mind whispered- always scowled and sneered at him, before chasing him away.

(It has been always like that, and there was something, something _accepting_ and _resigned_ inside him that made the experience less painful, but nonetheless sad.)

Naruto had strange dreams sometimes. Usually they were bad dreams. There was screaming, and cold taste of fear that clashed with the menacing burning red of fire, and then there was gold, light and protecting- and from time to time, he woke up screaming and crying, and his hand clutched his forehead even thought it wasn't hurting at all.

(And that was the strange thing, the fact the forehead didn't hurt, and not that he always lifted his hand to grab at it.)

Naruto also had quiet dreams. But those were sometimes just as bad as the screaming ones. For once, there were people in them- so many alien (_familiar_) faces, smiling strangers (_friends, family_) and a castle full of children (_home_). They made him wake up too, and made him unable to fall back asleep, as he stared silently at the ceiling of the tiny room, feeling _lost_.

(He never stepped out from his room on those days, when he had those dreams, and he was sure that his caretakers preferred it.)

Very few people actually tried to talk to him. Once or twice the children tried, but Naruto felt uncomfortable spending his time around them- as if his very being _winced_ at the thought, and even if he felt lonely, he never spoke back, turning his head away and ignoring them until they gave up and went away. The _adults_ didn't really care for his presence, and practically none of them usually acknowledged that he was there. There was Naruto's personal caretaker, of course- though how come he has one was a mystery to him- but the lady was cold, and her voice was snappish, and _stop asking stupid questions, brat!_

(To be perfectly honest, Naruto didn't know why he has the need to know what year is it, and why the answer was never satisfying and believable, even though he knew it's the truth.)

And then there was the Old Man.

Though he wasn't as tall as most of the males Naruto met or saw, and his age was the most defining feature, the Old Man wasn't like the other adults. He seemed to genuinely like Naruto, for once. And it was nice, having that kind of a warmth settle in one's chest, after being so cold most of the time. But even though Naruto liked the Old Man back, there were whispers in his mind, that doubted the man's honest and kindness, and just _who was he to me? Why he visits me, what does he want?_

But Naruto has so little good in his life that he decided not to bother with those thoughts and questions just now.

(He did found out that the Old Man is the 'hokage'- apparently a leader of their village, and wasn't that just strange for a leader to visit one specific orphan.)

-**7**-

When Naruto turned six, the Old Man visited early in the morning. "You will be joining the Academy," he was told kindly, one wrinkled hand grasping his shoulder with hidden strength "Only a fine shinobi passes the Academy-" lips quirked into a smile "-And I think, Naruto-kun, that you will become a fine shinobi indeed." The small boy said nothing to that and only nodded, before letting himself steered through the village into a tall building, from where he could hear the screams of excited children.

(Part of him became _relieved_ at being trained, the part that always felt _vulnerable_ and _naked_ without any sort of a weapon. And yet the other part _resented_ the Old Man for not having a choice to say _no_.)

-**7**-

Academy was horrible and he hated it.

It had nothing to do with the lessons- he actually found himself focusing on the material with nearly frightening intensity, as it seemed too important to ignore- but the rest of the class was another story.

For one, his teacher, a grizzly old chunnin (shinobi rank), hated his guts. Always calling on Naruto to answer a question to something they were just about to learn, and Naruto simply _didn't know the answer_, and so the teacher sneered and gave him a detention, while Naruto's classmates- _snot-nosed dumb little cretins_- laughed at his misfortune, even though it was clear they didn't know the answer either.

Naruto protested the first time that happened- it was clearly not fair, couldn't the other kids see that?- but that only brought another heap of trouble on his head, as the teacher threw him out of the room, and Naruto actually ended missing the lesson.

(He only felt slightly guilty when he stole a notebook from one of the more studious children, but he got over it quickly- after all a shinobi, a ninja, needs to be sneaky and resourceful.)

He was more careful the next time, even though his teacher was clearly displeased at knowing the answers to their previous lesson. But Naruto was sure the man won't let him get away with that, and will prepare something devious for the next day.

And so, not even a week in his carrier as a student. Naruto resigned himself with the fact that he would need to break into his teacher's desk to find out his study plans, or Naruto would probably die the second he graduated, though he doubted he would get that far.

-**7**-

"What are you doing?"

The high-pitched no-nonsense voice had him wince and look up warily; blinking as he took in the tiny figure of a girl dressed in overly pink dress, with a pink hair to a boot. She wasn't from his class. Her look was flickering between him and the door he was trying to lock pick, and Naruto felt his heart plummet. It seemed like a good idea before- when Hiroshi-sensei presented him with the most damaged kunai and shruiken to practice, Naruto felt rightfully angry, and figured that 'borrowing' a set from the academy storeroom was a justified action. But now that the girl glared at him with her forest green eyes, he wasn't so sure anymore.

In a split of a second he racked his brain, trying to think up a perfect excuse to get him out of the trouble- before he decided to be honest for once, as there was a scary cleverness shining in her eyes, making him doubt that she would buy anything he would try to tell her.

"...Sensei wants me to fail." He murmured, and pulled out his weapon pack, showing the damaged tools "I'm not having it."

She frowned heavily as she looked down, her brows furrowing, and lips pursing in consideration. It was clear she could see that his weapons weren't worth the metal they were made from, and it only made her scowl harder and glare at him again.

"And how can I know you are not lying?" Good question.

"You can't." Naruto shrugged, answering honestly, and to his surprise she relaxed, and her face softened. Silence fell between the two of them that was surprisingly comfortable, despite them meeting for the first time.

"...Teachers in this institute are lacking," she tsked after a moment, crossing her arms "I went to the library, and leafed through one of the past textbooks- did you know that trap-making and actual _stealth_ training was a big part of the curriculum?"

"No I didn't," he hummed and turned to the lock again, now that he knew she wouldn't rat him out "But considering the mess the village was after the Fourth death, I'm not really surprised. The civilian sector has more say in shinobi training than before."

"That's right," she blinked, clearly surprised, and Naruto felt a surge of pride ran through his body "You seem to be more knowledgeable than I first thought." And that was a bit rude, but the boy only snorted.

"Knowledgeable for a guy who is trying to get into a locked room you mean." He could feel her grin at his words.

"You are not doing a very good job. Have you actually picked a lock before?" Naruto nodded absently, grinning when he could hear the faint click and the door opened.

"Few times," he still answered for the girl's benefit and walked in, not minding when she followed him "It is harder to actually lock them again."

The room was surprisingly big and while there was a shelf full of scrolls- something to look into later, Naruto noted with interest- most of the space was taken by a stack upon stack full of kunai and shruiken, even with sword or two thrown in, along with a single bo-staff. Naruto whistled, impressed.

"They even have actual lethal set too," the girl whispered, looking over "Do you think we will use those later?"

"Probably," Naruto nodded, before scowling as he saw a box marked with the number of his class, which was almost empty, if one ignored the solitary top-notch set of training weapons in it. "And there is my pouch, I believe."

His companion made a disgusted sound at the back of her throat.

"You were _right_! Oh, this is so despicable..."

"Easy fix." he soothed her, internally pleased at someone defending him, before he looked around. He had no doubt that Hiroshi-sensei would notice that the set is missing, but as long as Naruto didn't actually use it in class, he should be safe. Therefore he picked up one of the spare pouches from a rack nearby, and used it to carry the new weapons. It was a credit to the girl that she actually didn't ask why he did so.

Locking the door again took some time but Naruto felt accomplishment and satisfaction at thwarting his sensei's plan again. The girl looked much friendlier now too, maybe because he chose to trust her with his troubles.

And to be honest, Naruto marvelled a bit at that. Sure, he wasn't your typical six years old- he was sure there was something _wrong_ or _different_ from in him, but it wasn't like people noticed. And Naruto didn't make an effort to actually talk to other people by his own initiative. Sometimes, he felt like much much older than he actually was- and it was that feeling that made him hesitant to approach kids his age. Because they were _loud_. And most importantly, cruel and blind to what was going around them.

But not this girl it seemed.

And she was inspecting him too, the faint frown on her face making something ache in his chest, and he had no idea why. He had never met her before- he didn't even see anyone that could be her relative, her features were completely alien to him. And yet, she was _familiar_- the kind of feeling he associated with the strangers from his dreams, but something more. Something much more important.

"You know, you are different from the others," she stated finally, her nose scrunched up in thought, and Naruto grinned.

"I could say the same about you, you know," he pointed out and she huffed, looking decidedly unimpressed. And for some reason that only made his grin widen, because somehow he _knew_ she wasn't insulted.

"You know what I mean," she snapped "You are clearly far more intelligent than all those ruffians at my class- well, apart from Sasuke, but he's a different kind of an idiot." She muttered "Boys. Showing off, and talking about being shinobi as if they were training to be a superhero..."

_Superhero_. Naruto mulled that word over in his mind, confused, as that wasn't actually a concept he was familiar with from his experiences, and yet he immediately knew the meaning. _Superhero_. Kids talked about being a warrior, a hero, of course. But none of them ever used that word- hell, Naruto never even heard the word before.

"...Well I have no need for blaze of glory," he said after a moment, and then faltered as a strange-_worrying_- expression crossed the girl's face. Triumph and relief? "Though who knows? I can't even do a jutsu right now."

"Anyway," he continued "I'm Naruto. Thanks for believing me."

"Sakura," she nodded back, and Naruto ignored the fain tremor to her voice, deciding to think about it later "Um, Naruto-san-"

"Naruto's fine," he interrupted her, and she nodded again.

"Right. Naruto," she took a deep breath, before exhaling "I was wondering- well, me and Sasuke, the boy I mentioned earlier? We decided to train together. And I was wondering, if you don't want to join us?"

He blinked slowly, taken aback.

Training...? Well that was unexpected. Internally frowning, he pondered about the offer. Training would be good actually- after all, Hiroshi-sensei, even if he is a bastard, had said something about how shinobi needed to keep his body fit and senses sharp, as new enemy always stepped in the place of an old one, and lazy shinobi is a dead shinobi. Neglecting one's training is basically suicide in the long run. And actually finding someone to train with was beneficial to all parties involved. Sparring helped to refine one's taijutsu, and a sparring partner was another set of eyes with different perspective to spot a weakness. All in all, it was a good idea.

"...Thank you for your offer but I can't." He murmured, grimacing as her face fell "I- maybe not now? But someday?" Naruto just wasn't comfortable with the idea showing the little of his fighting skills to two completely different people, no matter how familiar they were.

"Y-you can join anytime," she nodded furiously, her eyes intense, and it made him smile weakly "I- I'll be seeing you around, I guess?" she hesitated, looking at him with uncertainty. Naruto recognized for what it was- Sakura was asking if he didn't mind to hang out from time to time. And surprisingly he found out he didn't.

"Sure," he grinned "I'll teach you how to lock pick, if you want." Sakura laughed at that and grinned back.

"I'll hold you onto that promise."

They parted their ways after, Naruto heading home, while Sakura to the library- something, which didn't surprise him at all.

-**7**-

It was actually a bit disheartening at how many of Naruto's classmates started to leave the academy, and from some of the glares they gave him, the boy was sure that most of it was his fault- something Hiroshi-teme noticed as well.

Naruto had no idea what was it that made the adults hate him so much, but it had to be something _awful_ when it prompted the parents to pull their kid out of the training, even though their kid was good at it.

(But to be perfectly honest, most of them weren't- they were actually the worst, so Naruto didn't weep over the loss for long.)

But with the classroom slowly becoming barren, there wasn't any buffer left that would cover Naruto's rear, and Hiroshi seemed to enjoy this new found power over him. Becoming more and more daring, the teacher kept sending Naruto away for being 'disruptive', for 'breathing too loud', for 'behaving like an idiot'- and Naruto felt his blood boiling from the sheer unfairness. He wasn't sad for some reason, not like any six years old would be, but somehow the cold anger simmering beneath his skin seemed far far worse. Sometimes his hands twitched with the desire to stab a sharp kunai in Hiroshi's fat neck- or just clenched into a fist, his mind absently supplying images of a piece of thin long wood.

Why was Naruto dreaming about carrying a stick he had no idea.

It just seemed like one of those mysteries that just continued to plague him both in day and night. Like dreaming about strange contraptions that didn't exist, about strange places he never been to- and wasn't sure if they were real at all. And also the people. Oh, the people. Performing justsus even if it was clear they weren't ninja. Wearing strange clothes that seemed to be impractical for running or sneaking...

Naruto sighed as he kicked a stone in the middle of the road, ignoring the nasty looks the passerby gave him. He just... felt like he didn't belong here at all. Maybe that was one of the reasons he avoided the pink-haired girl- Sakura. Because for some reason, he really wanted to spend some time with her- hell, once he even had to hold himself back from going to look for her- and that scared him.

No, it would be best if he just ignored that their meeting ever happened.

(Besides with how adults reacted to his presence, he doubted that Sakura's parents would be happy to see him hang out with their daughter.)

These thoughts were however chased away pretty quickly, when a stone collided with the side of his head.

The boy couldn't help but release a pained cry as he stumbled and fell to his knees, his vision swimming and ears ringing from the blow. He could feel a razor sharp pang at the side of his head when he shakily brushed his fingers on the wound, flinching and sniffing as his hand came back wet and warm, covered with a dark red tacky liquid.

_Blood._

A second stone, this time hitting a spot between his shoulder blades, had him jerk forward and fall against the dusty dirty road, and the pain following pulsed through both of his shoulders and ran down his arms, and Naruto gasped, some instinct telling him that he didn't want to get injured there further-

"It's all your fault!"

There was a youthful voice screaming at him from somewhere on his left, and Naruto felt another stone hit him-this time on his shoulder- and a crack of a bone had him muffle a scream. He felt dizzy and lightheaded as he turned his head weakly towards the voice- and paled when he saw a figure of one of his ex-classmates, bending down to pick up another rock with a furious expression on his chubby face.

"Mama said I can't be a ninja, because the monster is there- and you are the monster!" the boy, dirty brown hair and always clumsy in his taijutsu katas, threw another stone but Naruto flung himself to the side, the projectile missing him by a hair. To be honest, he didn't even know the boy's name- it didn't seem important, at the time. Naruto could see the adults turn their way, and some of them smirked- but no-one made a move to either stop the boy, or help Naruto.

"Demon! Murderer!" he screeched and prepared to throw another rock-

Before his arm was grabbed in a tight grip and a packed fist collided with his face. Naruto stared in astonishment as another child- a dark-haired boy, wearing eye-blinding orange t-shirt- threw his attacker away with a snort, his arms crossing over his chest.

"Didn't your _mama_ teach you that only monkeys throw their shit at people?" his saviour sneered with almost professional practice at the boy that started bawling the moment he landed "Get lost, mate, or I'll shove a branch so far up your ass even your grandpapa would feel it."

There were gasps from the crowd around them, and some of the braver ones seemed to decide to bring Naruto's protector to justice- but faltered when the boy glared at them instead with a look so venomous that they flinched. Naruto though just stared- as the boy was very... feminine for a guy, almost cute one would say. There was a distinct aristocratic look to his cheeks and nose, along with the shape of his black eyes.

Clearly an Uchiha- as Naruto was used to seeing those bastards around, patrolling- but why would an _Uchiha_ of all people help was beyond him.

"Oi," the boy scowled ad pointed at him with a finger "I know what you are thinking- and no, I'm not pretty, I'm manly as hell, and you would do well to remember it buddy." Naruto opened his mouth, before closing it again, and blinking slowly. The other's expression changed to a worry, before he moved over to the smaller boy and picked him up by his good arm.

"Say, you don't look good. Lemme get you somewhere else, and I'll patch you up."

Maybe it was a sign how shaken and confused Naruto was that he didn't protest at all, and let himself to be lead. It was actually nice- he felt warm and safe with the strange boy by his side, and part of him seemed to calm down. He stumbled more than once, but the boy's hand was a strong anchor that didn't allow him to fall, and Naruto liked that.

He led him to a hidden grassy area- a training ground no doubt- and set him down against a massive tree trunk, his expression both worried and grave. It was such a strange look on a face so young, and Naruto couldn't help but stare with wide eyes, having no idea what was going on.

"Right," the boy exhaled through his nose "Now see here- I'm going to quickly get some stuff I'll need, and you will wait here- because if you don't, I'll find you mate." He glared and Naruto nodded hesitantly, agreeing. The boy grinned.

"Grand. I'll be right back." He stood up and turned to run, before stopping halfway and grinning down at the other boy again.

"I'm Sasuke, by the way." And then he was off, leaving Naruto wondering if it were just his luck to meet the 'different kind of an idiot' Sakura was talking about.


End file.
